A household iron, or ironing clothes or other garments, can represent:
- Change or transform, as an iron transforms wrinkled fabric to smooth or a curling iron transforms straight hair to curly
- Neaten, straighten, or improve somehow
- Make things right, make repairs, or resolve a situation, as in "ironing out" a problem
- Make things easier, as to "smooth things out" or "smooth the way"
- Pressure, or to feel that you're under pressure